2023-09-12
Announcing Chelenzo Farms' Goat Herdshare
November 20, 2023
December Herdshare
Hello herdshare members,
Hope you all are well and have some time planned with friends/family this holiday week. As the majority of next week is still November, our December herdshare will begin on the 3rd. You can place your milk product orders using this Google Form. If you would like milk products, please make sure to fill out the form before next Wednesday, November 29th. I will send out a reminder email on Tuesday.
I would also like to schedule our herdshare potluck for some time early next month. I am assuming that a weekend day would work best for most people, but please reply and let me know if you would prefer a weekday. If the majority of folks prefer a weekday, we can make that happen. When the invite is sent out, feel free to invite others who you feel may be interested in participating come the spring.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions. Again, have a happy holiday week!
October 20, 2023
November Milk Product Orders and Herdshare Updates
Hello Herdshare Members!
Hope you all are doing well. It's that time of the month to put in your milk product orders for November (woohoo!). Please fill out this form by next Friday, 10/27, to place your orders. Remember that there is a limit of two milk products per month.
I will also be sending out invoices for November this coming week. Payment will be due at your first milk pick up of the month. If you prefer to pay via cash or check (instead of via card on the invoice), please let me know.
In other fun news, we acquired two new Nubian does this week! They are a mother and daughter pair (Zia and Gila) and came from just up the road in San Marcos. They are not in milk, but we will be breeding them along with the others this coming month. Even though it's months away, I'm already excited for the baby goat-topia that will be in full swing come March/April.
The milk parlor barn is also coming along well! We have a few things to finish up including setting up the water catchment system, connecting solar power, and building a small hay storage lean-to, but will hopefully have most of it all squared away by mid-November. Be on the lookout for an invitation to a Herdshare Potluck/Farm Tour in the coming weeks!
October 2, 2023
Some Herdshare Reminders/Updates
Hello all,
Now that we're really getting in the flow of things with the herdshare, I just wanted to send out a couple of reminders/updates.
If you are unable to pick up your milk on your designated day, please let me know via text or email. This is especially important for those picking up at 42 Rainbows End where we use a cooler. It's totally fine to pick up your milk a day or two late, but it's good for us to know so we can make sure it stays cold until you are able to pick it up.
At this time, we are unable to provide milk earlier than your assigned pick up date. Special circumstances may be made if we are given adequate prior notice.
Don't forget to return cheese/yogurt jars along with your milk jars! If your name has washed off, please put a piece of paper with your name on it in the jars you're returning so we know it's yours.
If for some reason you can't get a hold of me, say I'm out of service or something of the sort, you can reach out to Chelsea or Lorenzo who are CC'd to this email.
Thank you for your understanding! This just makes sure we can operate smoothly no matter who is covering milking that day.
September 20, 2023
October Herdshare Information & a Few Important Updates
Hello Herdshare Members!
I hope you all enjoyed the first month of the herdshare program. If October is going to be your first month as a member, welcome! We look forward to meeting you.
If you are interested in adding up to two milk products to your membership in October, please order them by filling out this Google Form by the end of this week. Each product incurs a $5 labor processing fee due at the time of your first milk pick up of the month along with your monthly membership fee. If you do not want any milk products this month, please let me know which week of October you would like your extra jar of milk.
For those of you who have opted to pay your monthly invoices through Quickbooks, I will send them to you next week and they will be due on the date of your first milk pick up for the month. Those who are paying via cash or check can drop that off on your first milk pick up of the month. If you're unsure what your total amount for the month of October will be, feel free to reach out.
Last Week of September
I will be out of town Saturday 9/23 - Sunday 10/1. If you typically pick up your milk at my house, your milk will be available for pick up at 42 Rainbows End between those dates. There will be a grey cooler labeled "Chelenzo Farms Herdshare" in the shade to the right of the white door that you will see as soon as you enter the driveway. Feel free to call me if you can't find it - I'll still be accessible via phone. Normal pick up will resume on 9/2.
Some Farm Updates
Fall is an exciting time goat-wise as we transition into the breeding season. Most goat breeds will only breed in the fall, just like we see with wild ruminant species such as deer, elk, moose, etc, although there are some that have been bred to have the does go into heat multiple times of year. Our does, however, only show signs of heat from late summer to early winter and we're starting to see those signs now!
Since we need to breed our goats in order for them to give birth to cute little goat babies and thus have more milk available for you all, we will be renting a buck from mid-October to mid-November. The does will likely still be producing some milk up until two months before their due dates (gestation period for goats is 5 months). There may be a pause in milk availability from Mid Jan-Mid March (dates not exact), but things will be back in action once babies are born in March and April.
We are also nearing the completion of our new barn/milk processing building. Once complete, we would love to host a herdshare member potluck where you can tour the farm, meet your goats, and enjoy some amazing milk products from your animals! More information to come as we have a better idea of when it'll be finished.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thanks so much for supporting the local food economy!
September 12, 2023
Announcing The Chelenzo Farms' Goat Herdshare
Hello Fellow Goat (Milk, Cheese, Yogurt & Ice Cream) Lovers!
We are excited to announce that we have started our herdshare. Down below is an information sheet that covers the ins and outs of our herdshare - please read this in full so you have an understanding of how the membership works. If you have any questions, feel free to call/text Nina Listro, our farm manager, at 508.221.8900 or send her an email to nina@chelenzofarms.com
To begin, we will be selling a total of 7 full shares of our herd. While priority will be given to those who live in the Madrid/Cerrillos area, feel free to fill out the Google Form (linked below) regardless of where you live. Nina will reach out to those of you who have signed up to confirm your membership and detail next steps or to inform you of your status on our waiting list.
If you have read through the pamphlet and are excited to commit to the membership program, please fill out this Google Form to ensure you get one of the few spots left.
Thank you in advance for your interest and support!
About Our Goat Herdshare.pdf